


Good Intentions

by petalSpitter



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon), Steven Universe - Fandom
Genre: Body Horror, Corrupted Gems, gem experiments
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-28
Updated: 2015-08-28
Packaged: 2018-04-17 15:48:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4672373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/petalSpitter/pseuds/petalSpitter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steven still pities Centipeetle for the fate that befell them, and recent events have planted inklings of an idea in his mind. He's got it all planned out, well, except for the outcome.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Good Intentions

It was a perfect mid-summer day. The sky was decorated with fluffy clouds, the waves broke against the sun-baked sand, and the plant life was growing vibrant and green. It was one of those peaceful, beautiful days that Pearl truly appreciated Earth, the planet she’d sworn to protect. She had taken to relaxing on the cliffside to enjoy the day, leaning against the white picket fence with Steven not too far off...

“PTOO!” The disgusting sound sent bristles down her spine, sitting in her ears and stabbing into her head like a gooey insult. She sat up ramrod straight, head snapping toward the direction of the sound. “Steven! For the love of- Please don’t spit! I can’t believe you humans actually- make such nauseating sounds that become these _appalling_ globs of- And leave this _awful_ substance- Ugh!”   
Steven looked up from the bowl he’d been filling with pure spit, wiping his lip. “O-Oh! Sorry pearl! I swear I wasn’t doing it on purpose I was only trying to fill this-” He held the bowl up, angling it toward Pearl.   
“Steven!” The gem jerked back, lips pulled up dramatically in disgust and eyes wide. “Steven why in the universe are you doing such a-a-a- a revolting thing?! Oh dear, please get it away from me!” She stood, shaking her head and holding her hands up.   
“Well, I have healing spit. I was hoping if I soaked Centipeetle in it she’d get better...” He said, looking down at the bowl, already starting to rethink his idea. When he looked up Pearl had taken on a mournful look, tentatively crouching at his side.  
“Oh...Steven... I know you cared about it- er, Centipeetle very much but frankly I don’t think it’s possible.” She made sure to nudge the bowl away with her weak telepathy before putting an arm around his shoulders. “Your mother cared deeply about all the bubbled gems too, but unfortunately her experiments worked.” Pearl pat his shoulder as he sighed and looked down at his knees, suddenly looking back up to her.  
“But what if it works? I have to at least try for them! I mean- lately everyone’s trying to sacrifice something for me, why can’t I sacrifice something for someone else?” He stared at Pearl with a furrowed brow, the woman suddenly looking very worried. “Well, Steven, you see-”

“Pearl!” Garnet's mile long shadow fell over the pair, Pearl sharply standing at the sound of her name. “Garnet? What are you-” She stopped when Garnet made seemingly minuscule changes in her expression, walking closer.   
“Hey, Steven.” The taller gem smiled down at him, then returned to her conversation with Pearl. “Greg needs your help down at It’s A Wash.” Pearl seemed confused for a second, eyes widening ever so slightly.   
“Oh. I’ll be right there.” She left, stepping around Steven and his spit bowl in a wide arch, headed down the boulevard and soon out of sight. Garnet sat down, one elbow propped up on one knee as the silence stretched on.   
“So-” He paused to spit into the bowl again. “What was that about?” Steven looked up to her, unsure what answers he’d get from her stoic posture alone. “Pearl can say the wrong things at the wrong times without knowing it. I didn’t want you to be exposed to that yet.” Garnet lowered her head, then reached out and ruffled Steven’s hair, letting a smile slip on her face. “Good luck with your experiments.“

“Wh-wait! Garnet! You have future vision! You can just tell me if it works!” Steven’s face lit up, leaning closer to her with a smile stretching across his face. “Ooooh no, I’m not letting you cheat.” She smiled, poking his nose. “What kind of experiment would it be if you knew the outcome before you even began?”

Steven thought about it for a second, rubbing his chin. “A pretty boring one, I guess.” He spit into his bowl again, wondering if he had enough yet. “Hey Garnet when it’s time can I-” She answered yes before he’d even finished. “So I can actually take it with permission this time-”

“Yes, Steven.” She rose, stretching her arms as she did so. “Speaking of permission, you need to put away the dishes if you want permission to watch tv tonight.” Garnet left Steven to his own devices until nightfall, when Pearl called him back inside. (The dishes weren’t done, so he re-read some manga in lieu of watching reruns.)

 

* * *

 

The next day was a harsh contrast to the day before, with grey clouds hanging low in the sky and the air thick with needle sharp rain. The crowds of tourists and townies cleared the beach and boardwalk, with only the rain lovers out and about in boots and umbrellas.   
“Daaang, it’s coming down in buckets today. Are you sure your ‘spitbowl’ isn’t affecting the weather?” Amethyst turned to Steven, reaching over and nabbing a donut. “I mean I’m not reacting like _Pearl_ but it’s still kinda gross.“ She rolled her eyes, jabbing her head toward the temple door Pearl had flatly refused to leave until Steven’s ‘experiment’ was done.

“I’m pretty sure I can’t control the weather.... Yet. I guess. I dunno.” He spat into the bowl again, turning his attention to defeating the Grand Matriarch of the Lotus Clan. “And I guess I can’t blame Pearl for avoiding something she hates and knows is there. It’s why I never watch after the Comedy Block after ten.” He shuddered at the memory of some particularly horrid cartoons.   
“Man, I _love_ the shows they- Oh. You hate those don’t you?” She said between bites of donut, Steven now scowling at his TV. He mumbled his dislike, nodding stiffly as he tried to focus on picking a limit break move. “Try the...” Amethyst looked over his shoulder, squinting at the screen. “Rainbow Melody? Is that powerful?” She pointed at the TV as he selected the move, the screen filling with color as the busty, kimono clad love interest sliced up the enemy with bladed fans.

Steven’s eyes lit up as the Matriarch’s defeat cutscene began to play, sighing in relief and reaching for a victory sip of soda. “Ah, finally-huh? Sweet! Secret level!” He grinned, leaning closer to the TV as he guided his pixeled party through the Lotus Clan gardens and beat up monster sized insects. 

* * *

 

He yawned, pausing his game to look outside and seeing nothing but stars. “When’d it get so late?” He looked around, seeing a trail of donut crumbs and Amethyst snoozing on the couch below, triggering a yawn in himself. “Well I guess it’s about time to get to sleep...” He reached over, saving his game and powering it down, launching one last ‘PTOO!’ Into his spitbowl.

“Hmmm... I _guess_ it’s full enough.” He jumped down the stairs, running toward the temple door only for Garnet to warp in right before he crossed the pad. “Garnet! I-”   
She held up her pointer finger, shhing him before reaching into her afro and pulling out the bubbled gem. “I had a feeling tonight was the night.” She smiled down at him, transferring the bubble to his hands.   
“Thanks...” He took the bubble, staring at it utterly mesmerized for a seconds. “Thanks, Garnet!” Steven beamed at her, smiling ear to ear as he rushed to his bed, putting the spitbowl at the foot of it. “C’mon, centipeetle...” He popped the bubble over his bed, picking up the gem after it fell and gently placing it in the bowl. “Oh nooo...” Only three fourths of the gem were submerged, so Steven rolled it around until all of it was coated. “See you in the morning.” The boy crawled into bed, falling asleep to the sound of Amethyst’s snores.

 

* * *

 

In the dead of night Steven slowly awoke to a constant, irritating sound of chittering and chirring. He groaned, rolling over and pulling his pillow over his ears until he felt a hot, humid wind on his hand. “Whu-? AHHHHHHHH!”  
His eyes went wide, instantly awake as he jerked away from a giant blackness hovering right over him and dripping something wet. “Amethyst! Help!” He jumped out of bed, painfully tumbling down the stairs as the shape turned to look at him, ‘head’ hanging low. “Amethyst!” He scrambled for a flashlight, for something to throw, anything. “Amethyst, help me!” He stood, dashing for the lightswitch as the thing tried to chase him.  
Steven threw the lights on, the -oh god he didn't know what it was- yelping as it was exposed to the light. “Oh my...” The monster? -the gem?- the half-formed thing had thrown its head to the floor, the back of its body spread out over the stairs for all to see.   
It tried to crawl forward with half-formed arms, chitin and oversized claws jutting out of pale green skin at what should have been the elbows. At its’ sides were dozens of tiny, atrophied legs locked into ‘L’ positions with feet that looked melted into claws, tiny bumps that should have been toes visible on the edges. Its’ torso was long, way too long to pass for anything human, taking up half the stairs and still spilling over the floor. “C-Centipeetle?” He saw the head turn in the mountain of white hair, gasping at the sight of her head. It was- It was like her jaws had yawned too wide and consumed her entire head, gem stuck in a melted section between her gums and where an eye should have been, warping her lip up in an sneer. She was crying. She was looking right at him and crying green tears into her deformed mouth and-   
“Steven!” Pearl’s voice rang out, her spear flying and shooting right through the half-monster’s head, jerking it to one side as she shrieked and stilled, poofing away in a second. “Steven are you alri-” The gem rushed over to him, putting her hands on his shoulders and kneeling in front of him. “Steven?” The boy blinked back tears, still staring at the spot Centipeetle had given him that begging look. “Oh, Steven, I’m so sorry you had to see that...” Pearl pulled him into a hug, tangling her fingers in his curly hair. “I’m so sorry...” She listened to the boy sniffled, holding onto her tightly and breaking down into sobs.   
The other two Crystal Gems walked in, Amethyst still rubbing her eyes. “What happened in here?”

Garnet walked over, picking up and bubbling the gem next to the spear.“I should have known this would happen. Why didn’t I-?” She sighed, looking down. “Of all the things for my vision to miss, it had to be this?” She clenched her fist, sending the gem back to the heart of the temple and walking over to Steven, kneeling and hugging him. “I’ve seen some terrifying failed experiments, but that was- You shouldn’t have seen that.” She held the sobbing child tightly, feeling the third Crystal Gem walk in on the other side and wrap her arms around him.  



End file.
